Skandapurana 5.64

Sūta said: / In ancient times, O best of brahmins, goddess Camatkārī was established right there, / formerly installed with faith by King Camatkāra, 1

by whom previously that dānava Mahiṣa, who possessed a hundred thousand illusory forms, / was slain in battle when she observed the vow of maidenhood. 2

When that city was built there by that great-souled one, / she was installed at that time, O brahmins, for its protection, 3

for the protection of that city and of the inhabitants of that city, / [and] of all the eminent brahmins whose minds were steeped in devotion. 4

Whoever properly worships her on the day of the Mahānavamī / never has any fear anywhere for an entire year, 5

especially from bhūtas, pretas, and piśācas, or from enemies, / and from diseases, thieves, and other wicked beings. 6

Whatever desire a pure man contemplates on the bright eighth [lunar day], / if he worships her with true devotion, he attains it without a doubt. 7

One free of desire attains happiness and liberation, there is no doubt here; / by the grace of that goddess, this is the truth spoken by me. 8

In the past, having propitiated her, the Supreme Goddess, / many kings, brahmins, and also other yogins attained perfection. 9

Whoever, endowed with faith, circumambulates her / every day for a year, shall not enter an animal womb. 10 / In her temple in former times there occurred a great wonder; / I shall relate it to you: listen attentively! 11

Formerly there was an excellent king named Citraratha, / the famous lord of Daśārṇa, the slayer of all enemies. 12

On the bright eighth [lunar day], endowed with faith, he always with devotion / performed circumambulation [around her temple] one hundred and eight times. 13

Then, having bowed down to that goddess, he would return to his home, / surrounded on all sides by his fourfold army. 14

Thus, while that lord of men was intent on circumambulation / and devoted to the worship of the goddess, a very long time passed. 15

Then once upon a time, that king, having arrived there, / saw the best of brahmins gathered at the temple of the goddess. 16

Then, having circumambulated that goddess, that ruler of the earth, 16

collected in mind, bowed down to all those brahmins standing before him. 17

Then, seated there together with them, he engaged in / auspicious tales of ancient royal seers and brahmin seers. 18

Then, at the end of some conversation, he was questioned by those best of brahmins / filled with curiosity, as he stood bowed down with humility: 19

“O King, we all ask you, being filled with curiosity; / therefore tell us, if it is not a secret kept by you. 20

Month after month, always on the bright eighth [lunar day], having come from far away, / you perform circumambulation of the deity. 21

Diligently abandoning all other rites such as worship, / surely you know the entire fruit that arises from circumambulation.” 22

The king said: / “What has been spoken by your honors, O best of brahmins, is true; / even though it is a secret, it must now be told by me to you. 23

Formerly I was a parrot in this auspicious temple, / taking shelter having made a nest on the western side of the goddess. 24

There, constantly going out and entering, / circumambulation of the goddess happened every day, O best of brahmins. 25

Then in time my death occurred right here in this temple; / by the power of that, I was born as a king here, remembering my past lives. 26

For this reason, coming from afar, collected in mind, / I perform circumambulation of this deity, O best of brahmins. 27

Formerly, dwelling in the nest devoid of devotion, / circumambulation of the goddess was performed by me; through that I became a king. 28

Now that I perform circumambulation endowed with faith, / what greater good will be mine, that I do not know, O best of brahmins!” 29

Sūta said: / Hearing that of his, those brahmins, their eyes wide open with wonder, / rejoiced and applauded that king, saying ‘Well done!’ 30

Then, having bowed to all the best of brahmins and taken leave, / that ruler of the earth quickly departed for his home along with his soldiers. 31

Whoever now performs circumambulation endowed with faith, / released from all sins, attains the desired fruit. 32

From then on, all those brahmins, preceded by devotion, / and others as well, circumambulated her for the sake of liberation, 33

and by her power they attained supreme, desired perfection, / hard to obtain even by the gods, both in this world and in the next. 34

Therefore, by every effort, one should take refuge here in that goddess / situated in that sacred field, who grants all desires to mortals. 35

Thus ends the sixty-fourth chapter, entitled “Description of the Māhātmya of Camatkārī Durgā,” in the Māhātmya of the Sacred Field of Śrī Hāṭakeśvara, in the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, the sixth [part] of the eighty-one-thousand-[verse] collection of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa. 64.